It is common for homeowners to install lighting fixtures on their property. Outdoor lighting systems are well known and most oftentimes take the form of a stake connected to a light fixture. The stake is buried in the ground and wiring is run from an electrical supply to the light fixture. Most commonly, the electrical supply is a low voltage transformer connected to house current.
In addition to light fixtures, it is also common for homeowners to install electrical devices in outdoor locations, which are most commonly duplex receptacles but can also be other electrical devices such as switches, or photocells.
Although the prior art includes many devices for supporting outdoor lighting fixtures and various other devices for supporting outdoor electrical devices, there are few compact devices available for installing both an outdoor lighting fixture and an outdoor electrical device in a common enclosure that can be mounted either in the ground or to a structural surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,814,961 to O'Brien et al. for example, discloses a light fixture including a bulb and lens assembly that can be mounted on a hollow post supported by a ground stake. The bulb and lens assembly includes a lens that carries a plurality of louvers. The louvers include legs and slots so that the distance between the louvers can be adjusted to vary the appearance of the light fixture and the amount of light emitted light.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,367,442 to Frost et al. discloses a solar powered lamp configured to function more efficiently at elevated temperatures. The solar powered lamp can be equipped with decorative disks or louver-type members, which, in the event of rain or the like, advantageously prevent moisture from entering into the upper portion of the lamp.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,013 to Hall et al. discloses an outdoor light fixture that has a cover with a clear pane and an inner refracting lens adapted to refract light emitted from a light source and to fit over the light source. The light fixture may include a globe assembly and a louver installed thereon.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,996,636 to Lovett discloses a low voltage light fixture for use with a multi-conductor wire including a light bulb receptacle and a stake or post for supporting the fixture. The light fixture includes a head unit having a pagoda-style fixture head, which includes a base, a lens, a center tier, a top tier, a top cap, a lamp, and lamp/wire interconnect conductors.
Although all of the above patents disclose various light fixtures for providing light in an outdoor environment, they suffer from several disadvantages. They all include stakes, which limits them to being anchored in the ground. They cannot be easily mounted to structural outdoor surfaces, such as on a deck, patio, walkway, or a set of steps.
Although the cited prior art references disclose a means for providing a light fixture anchored to the ground, they do not provide for easy addition of electrical devices for providing other electrical services. Many times a homeowner desires an electrical receptacle for plugging in various devices that require house current, such as weed eaters, leaf blowers, and other lawn or garden equipment. It would be advantageous in times such as these to have access to readily available electrical current at the light fixture, instead of having to stretch electrical cord to the house itself.
Additionally, several of the above prior art light fixtures are designed for use with a specific light source. This neglects the fact that not all homeowners desire the same type of light source, and that it would be advantageous to allow the homeowner to supply whatever light source is most desirable for his needs. Some homeowners may, for example, desire a halogen light source for example, instead of a common incandescent light source.
Therefore, what is needed is an apparatus for enclosing both a light source and an electrical device. The apparatus should also be capable of mounting the light source and electrical device to either the ground or to a structural surface. Furthermore, the apparatus would be capable of accepting a wide variety of light sources.